The Wedding Banquet takes relationships to the next level when a fake marriage is set between a man needing a green card and a lesbian woman needing money for IVF.
Director: Andrew Ahn
Genre: Rom-Com
Run Time: 103′
Rated: R
BFI Flare Screenings: March 19-30, 2025 (Opening Night Gala)
U.S. & Canada Release Date: April 18, 2025
U.K. Release Date: TBA
Where to Watch: At BFI Flare / In U.S. & Canadian theaters
Angela (Kelly Marie Tran, of Raya and the Last Dragon) and Lee’s (Lily Gladstone, of Jazzy) journey as a couple hasn’t been easy. Multiple failed tries at IVF means almost going into debt paying for each round and having to remortgage their house, putting their relationship on the line. When a unique, and potentially immoral, opportunity presents itself to Angela and Lee, they must grab it, as it might be the only chance they have to get pregnant. The catch? Angela, an out and proud lesbian, must marry her best friend’s boyfriend. The Wedding Banquet takes friendships to a whole new level, with secrets and lies around every corner.
So how will a lesbian woman marrying a gay man help Angela and Lee’s situation? Well, Min (Han Gi-chan), the groom to be, is facing eviction from the US due to his study visa coming to an end and needs to marry in order to stay. Min’s boyfriend Chris (Bowen Yang, of Wicked) isn’t ready to commit, even after five years of being together, and more importantly, Min’s family doesn’t know that he is gay, so the only option is to marry a woman. Angela and Lee need some cash, and quick, for their final try at IVF and Min has offered them the money if one of them marries him.
Whilst the premise is silly, it works. The Wedding Banquet is an immersive story that keeps you hooked until the very last minute. When you begin to tell lies to your family, especially that your marriage is real just so you can give some money away to a friend in need, they’re bound to find out. Min’s grandma (Youn Yuh-jung, of Minari) insists on flying from Korea to Seattle to witness the marriage, which turns into a whole ordeal when the plan was to marry within the week with just a marriage certificate and no big celebrations. As soon as she arrives, it must be all things pageantry!
There’s a moment in the first half of The Wedding Banquet where Min’s grandma delivers one of the best lines in the whole film (you’ll know exactly the moment when watching, otherwise it’s a spoiler to reveal). After that line is said, it’s apparent that the script is not only exemplary, but the casting to deliver these lines has been crafted perfectly. Youn Yuh-jung particularly is flawless in this scene. These jokes under a bad cast wouldn’t work. It’s even down to the facial expressions from Min and Angela whilst Min translates his grandma’s slander back to Angela that seem genuine. These one liners are made for an audience to laugh at with friends, or solo, surrounded by like minded individuals at the cinema.
It’s Ang Lee’s original script that makes the 2025 version of the film so special. But this time, it’s with an extra queer twist reworked by Andrew Ahn and James Schamus. Lee’s The Wedding Banquet in 1993 was centred around a gay couple in New York, but Ahn’s version gives us two queer couples and flies us to the west coast of America instead. We have countless stories of love and friendships on screen, but this one feels new and hopeful, exactly what everyone needs to indulge in.
Every single cast member shines whenever they’re on screen. It’s clear there’s chemistry with these actors, both on and off the screen for everything to gel together so well. Yang’s incredible comedic timing blows it out of the park yet again, clearly channeling some of himself into Chris. Gladstone proves she has the versatility in her acting, from playing a quiet, understated character like The Rancher in Certain Women, to a memorable powerhouse of a performance as Mollie in Killers of the Flower Moon. Her character in The Wedding Banquet is somewhere in the middle: she’s humorous, but she knows how to stand her ground.
The Wedding Banquet is guaranteed to make you laugh, and maybe even shed a little tear as you watch the extent someone who really loves you will go to in order to make you happy. This new queer rom-com is destined to become a cult classic.
The Wedding Banquet: Movie Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
In Andrew Ahn’s extra queer take on Ang Lee’s original script for The Wedding Banquet, a lesbian woman marries a gay man in order for him to be able to stay in the US and for her to take the money he’s offering to put towards vital IVF treatment.
Pros:
- Celebration of queer love
- A stacked, witty cast
- Fun around every corner, guaranteed to give you a good time
Cons:
- Kind of predictable
- Not for those who aren’t interested in a cheesy rom-com
The Wedding Banquet was the Opening Gala of the BFI Flare 2025, on March 19, 2025, and will be screened again at the BFI Southbank on March 30. In the US and Canada, the film will be released in theaters on April 18, 2025. Read our BFI Flare reviews and our list of 10 movies to watch at BFI Flare 2025!
